Witkoff, Kushner Arrive in Moscow as Putin Pauses Kyiv Strikes
Are Putin's airstrikes ahead of U.S. envoy visits proof he doesn't want peace or is his three-day halt on Kyiv strikes a real concession?
Above: Jared Kushner (L) and Steve Witkoff at the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21. Image credit: Urs Flueeler/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Bombing Zhulyany Airport the very moment American envoys touched down in Moscow says everything about Putin's interest in peace. Ukraine floated a temporary ceasefire for the visit and got airstrikes instead, while the CIA chief had to fly in and warn against hitting a NATO member. Announcing an "idea for peace" with zero specifics is not diplomacy.
Pro-Russia narrative
Putin ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv so American negotiators could work, which is a real concession, not a talking point. The Kremlin sent a senior envoy to greet Witkoff and Kushner at the airport and said White House representatives are always welcome. The scare stories about an imminent attack on NATO have been knocked down by Trump himself.
